Winterizing Home Tips and Advice

Winterizing Home Tips and Advice

When it comes to winterizing your home, it doesn’t have to be empty and up for sale for it to be a good idea to winterize. Winterizing your home while your living in it is also important. Therefore, we have some tips to help you winterize your home properly.

How to winterize your home

Gutters – Keep ice dams from forming by cleaning out your gutters now before it gets so cold it allows freezing water to build up. A build up of freezing water can cause water to seep into the home through the siding. And, while you’re cleaning out your gutters, make sure they are all aligned to drain properly.

Air Leaks – Block cold air leaks before you become one of the millions who are spending extra money to keep their homes warm when it’s only necessary to fix those air leaks. Check around your windows and doors for incoming cold air. If you feel any air coming in around your doors, add new insulation strip around the door. If you feel air around your windows, use caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those areas.

Extra Insulation – You may spend a little more than you really want to spend on extra insulation, but you will be your money back and then some in years to come. If you can see the ceiling joists in your attic, you need more insulation.

Furnace Check – Check your furnace now to make sure it’s working efficiently before it has a chance to get too cold out. You may also want to invest in having a maintenance check on it. A maintenance check can run around $100 from any heating and air professional. And, make sure you change your filters regularly.

Air Ducts – Check all your air ducts for proper connections. You can lose up to 60% of your heat through badly connected air ducts. You can find your exposed air ducts in the attic, basement or crawlspace. Replace what’s needed or readjust what you can.

Windows – If you have old single pane windows, you may consider putting up insulation and plastic over them during the winter months. Or you can put up storm windows for that added protection against the cold.

Chimney Cleaning – More chimney fires happen every year. Don’t be the next statistic. Have your chimney cleaned out by a professional for less than $125. You don’t have to have it cleaned each year, but at least have it inspected each year and cleaned when needed.

Ceiling Fans – Reverse your ceiling fan to push the warm air down. Remember that heat rises, so circulate your fan to push hot air down and cold air up. During the winter your fan should be going in a counter clockwise spin and during the summer it should be going in a clockwise spin.

Exposed Pipes – Keep your exposed pipes wrapped in insulation to keep them from freezing and bursting. Nothing will ruin the holidays and cold winter mornings like a busted pipe. Pipes running through unheated spaces like your crawlspace or garage should be wrapped with insulation.